Compressors



v. s. MAKAROFF ETAL 2,800,274

I COHPRESSORS Jul 23, 1957 5 Shee tS- -Sheet 1 Filed June '7, 1954 ENTOR B lio FF CK sou ATTORNEY July 23, 1957 V. S. MAKAROFF ETAL COMPRESSORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1954 INVENTOR VAN/05.109 KFRO EF' Y HZEX/S E. JFICKSO'I A ORNEY United States- Patent- COMPRESSORS Vadim S. Makarolf, New York, N. Y., and Alexis E. Jackson, Norwalk, Conn.

Application June 7, 1954, Serial No. 434,737 9 Claims. or. 230-447 This invention relates generally to compressors, and the like, of the general type disclosed in our prior U. S. Patent No. 2,643,817, and is an improvement thereo'ver. V The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally a main chamber having an eccentrically gyrating piston contained therein, a valve member adjacent to the main chamber and movable for opening and closing a discharge port, and a tail blade connected to the piston and the valve member for actuating the latter upon gyration of the piston.

In prior devices of this general type, the tail blade was rigidly fixed to the piston, and the angular disposition of the tail blade relative to the piston determined not only the piston position at which the exhaust port opened and closed, as described in the above-mentioned patent, but such rigid connection also determined the amount or size of the exhaust port opening. Further, the rigid tail blade construction of the prior art has been found to unnecessarily limit the size of exhaust port opening.

More specifically, the piston motion in the above-mentioned patent is not pure gyration, wherein a vertical diametral line through the piston would remain vertical during the entire cycle, but rather, such a line would be subject to rotary oscillation about its center point. Obviously, the amount of rotary piston oscillation will vary inversely as the distance from the center of oscillation or pivoting (the center of the piston) to the center of the valve member. By inspection of the drawings of applicants prior patent, it will be observed that the direction of rotary piston oscillation is such as to decrease the size of the exhaust port opening during the entire discharging period. That is, during the entire open time of the exhaust port, the piston oscillates clockwise to impress a counterclockwise force on the valve member, which tends to close the latter. 7

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved rotary compressor construction of the type described which retains all the advantages of the device of applicants prior patent, and which includes novel means adapted to automatically increase the size of the exhaust port opening, or otherwise control the latter, as desired. 7

It is another object of the present invention to provide a compressor having the characteristics indicated in the "foregoing paragraph, in which the principle of valve timing is the same as that of the above-mentioned patent, opening and closing of the discharge port occurring when the-tailblade' is in parallel relation with respect to a predetermined line.

-Itis 'a further object of the present invention to provide a compressor or the like having the advantageous features mentioned above, which is simple in construction and durable in operation, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and re- -'fe'rring to the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this disclosure.

Theinvention' accordingly consists in the features of constructions,combinations of elements, and arrange- 2,800,274 Patented July 23,

ments of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings: H Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a compressor constructed in accordance with the present invention, illustrating the position of the pistonat the opening point of the discharge valve port.

a Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of the piston at the closing point of the discharge valve port.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a slightly modified compressor constructed in accordance with the present invention, and illustrating the piston position at the opening of the discharge valve port.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing another slightly modified compressor of the present invention and illustrating the position of the piston at the opening point of the discharge valve port.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing still another slightly modified form of the present invention, and illustrating the piston position at the opening point of the discharge valve port.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and illustrating the piston position at the opening point of the discharge valve port.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing yet another embodiment of the invention, and illustrating the piston position at the discharge valve port opening point.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing still a further embodiment of the present invention, and illustrating the piston position at the discharge valve port opening point.

Fig. 9 is a partial, enlarged view, partly broken away to more clearly show the details of construction of the of the present invention, taken substantially along the line 12-12 of Fig. 11 and showing the discharge valve port in partially open condition.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 13-13of Fig. 3, and showing the piston in a different position of its gyratory movement.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a cruciform type slide adapted for use in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, as removed from the compressor.

Fig. 15 is a partial, sectional view taken substantially along the line 15-15 of Fig. 14. Y Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figs. 1, 2, 11 and 12. thereof, the compressor structure will first be described. The compressor comprises a casing, generally designated 20, having a main cylindrical chamber or cylinder 21, a cylindrical valve housing 22 parallel thereto, the housing and chamber intersecting to form an arcuate space through which the tail blade 23 passes. -An ecc'entrically gyrated cylindrical piston 24 is mounted in the main chamber, and an oscillatory valve block or member 25 is mounted in the valve housing 22. One end of the tail blade 23 is pivotally connected, as at 30, to the piston 24, to permit swinging of the tail blade relative to the piston. The valve block or member 25 has a slot formed therein in which the tail blade 23 reciprocates. The casing 20 has an inlet, low pressure duct or port 26, and an outlet, high pressure duct or port 27. The valve block 25 has a discharge port or passageway 28 adapted to connect the high pressure duct 27 and the main chamber 21 at. times, and to disconnect the high pressure duct and the main chamber at other times. The casing has a recess 31 to provide clearance for the tail blade 23. It will be noted that the intersection of the valve housing 22 .and the main cylindrical chamber forms a lip 32 adjacent to the port 28., It will be seen from discussion below, and reference to UQS. Patent No. 2,643,817, that this lip 32 is a critical point for completion of the closing of the valve port 28.

The casing comprises a pair of end plates 29 with a body member 30 clamped between the end plates by a series of bolts. The end plates 29 have recesses 34 for ring-like hubs 33 which connect the two halves of the valve member together. The valve memberjbears on and is journaled in the housing or socket 22 in parallelism with the gyratory axis of the piston 24. The sides of the tail blade 23 engage with the end plate 29.

The end plates 29 have bearings 35 journaling a main shaft 36; and, an eccentric disc or circular member 37 is disposed within the chamber 21 and fixed to the main shaft. As best seen in Fig. 12, the piston 24 is circumposed about and slidable relative to the eccentric member 37 so as to be gyrated by the latter upon rotation of the main shaft 36. A suitable lubricating system is, of course, desirable, as between the eccentric 37, piston 24, and chamber 21, however such a system forms no part of the present invention and is omitted from the drawings for clarity of understanding.

' The discharge duct 27 may connect with a high pressure storage tank (not shown) or other device, as desired. Such a tank may be provided with an oil reservoir and serve to feed oil through the compressor lubricating system.

It will be understood that the main shaft 36 is driven by any suitable means through a suitable coupling 39. This causes the piston 24 to gyrate eccentrically around the main cylinder 21 in clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows. Gas is drawn in through the intake duct 26 and discharged through the outlet duct 27.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, ll, 12 and 14, a cruciform slide, generally designated 40 is slidably mounted in both the piston 24 and one casing wall 29. That is, the slide includes fixed crossed bars '41 and 42; and, the piston and one casing wall are formed with elongated slots 43 and 44, respectively, adapted to slidably receive the cross bars 41 .and 42, respectively. As the slots and slides in this modification are all straight, it will be apparent that the piston is constrained to vertical and horizontal movement, while being restrained against rotation. Stated otherwise, the piston is permitted pure gyratory movement about the cylinder, without tory oscillation.

As noted hereinbefore, rotary piston oscillation in the rigid type tail blade constructions was responsible for the exhaust port opening, and that elimination of the rotary piston oscillation will provide a larger exhaust port opening than was heretofore possible by bringing the center of pivot of the tail blade closer to the center of the rotary valve. Of course, this pure gyratory movement, or other constrained piston gyration is permitted by the pivotal connection between the tail blade 23 and the piston 24. As the pivotal connection is located near the periphery of the piston 24, it is apparent that the distance from the center of the valve member 25 to the point of articulation of the tail blade, namely the pivotal connection 30, is substantially less than in the rigid tail blade construction, where the point oftail blade articulation at least theoretically, was the center of the piston. This reduction in efiective tail blade length will serve to increase rotary oscillation of the tail blade, and hence of the valve member 25, so as to further increase the size of the exhaust port opening.

In Figs. 3 and 13 are shown another mode of practicing the present invention, wherein the piston gyration is constructed by means of a rotary member or drum 47 set into the casing cover 29a andincluding a stub shaft 48 journaled in the casing, parallel to the shaft 36, and

extending outwardly through the casing for connection to a driving means (not shown). A pivot pin 49 is supported in and extends between the drum 47 and piston 24a, being disposed eccentrically of both the drum and piston. In the illustrated embodiment the eccentricity of the pin 49 with respect to the drum 47 and shaft 48 is equal to the eccentricity of the disc 37 and hence of the piston 24. Upon synchronized or in phase rotation of the drum 47 and pin 49 relative to the shaft 36 and disc 37, it will be apparent from elementary kinematics that the piston 24a of Fig. 3 will execute pure gyratory movement being fully constrained against rotary oscillation.

In the form of Fig. 4, the casing 20b is provided with a second, cylindrical chamber or housing 50 opposite to the valve chamber 22 and opening into the main cylindrical chamber 21. A cylindrical member 51 is rotatably mounted in the chamber 50, and a second tail blade 52 is fixedly secured to the piston 24b and extends slidably through the member 51 for reciprocation therein. This form of the invention combines the operating principles of the instant invention and the prior, above-mentioned patent, the tail blade 52 serving to impress rotary oscillation on the piston 24b as obtainedin the device of the prior patent, while the shortened effective length of the tail blade 23 (between the pivotal connection 30, and the axis of the valve member 25) increases the rotary oscillation of the latter.

In Fig. 5 is a simplified manner of constraining the gyratory motion of piston 24c, which may be desirable under certain circumstances. A slot 55 parallel to line 57 is formed in one wall 290 of the casing of Fig. 5, and a pin 56 projects from the piston 24c, into the slot 55 for sliding movement therein. As the pin is disposed generally opposite to the pivotal connection 30 of the tail blade, it is seen that the lower portion of the piston 240 will be more or. less constrained to vertical, movernent, while the pivotal connection point 30 will oscillate, but in a fully constrained manner adapted to increase the size of the exhaust port opening. I

In all of the above described forms of the invention, namely those of Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the'valve timing operates on the same principle as that of the above mentioned prior patent. That is, the valve discharge port 28 commences to open when the longitudinal axis of the tail blade 23 is in parallel relation with respect to a line 57 extending from a predetermined point ofcontact between piston and cylinder at the instant the rotary valve commences to open, and the predetermined point of contact between piston and cylinder at the instant the rotary valve has completed its closing. Further, the exhaust port in each of these forms of the invention will close when the tail blade again moves into parallelism with the line 57 upon continued clockwise gyration of the piston. By Way of comparison, in compressors of the above types, each having an exhaust port of one inch diameter, and a displacement of nine cubic feet per minute, at a corresponding position of piston gyration, the exhaust port Openings will be as follows:

a 7 Inches Patent No. 2,643,817 .095 Figs. 1 and 3 .250 Fig. 4 ..310 Fig. 5 .5004- There are, however, other ways of increasing the opening of the exhaust port without necessarily conforming to the timing disclosed in Patent No. 2,643,817. The following examples will serve to illustrate.

In the form of Fig. 6, a cruciform type slide 60 has its cross members 61 and 62 slidable, respectively, in slots formed in the piston 24d and casing wall 29d, in substantially'the same manner as the slide 40 in theform of Fig. 1. However, the cross member '61 of the slide 60 is curved and slides in a correspond nglycurved slot in the piston so as to effect a desired amount'of rotary piston oscillation in the counterclockwise direction, thereby increasing the exhaust port opening beyond that of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 7, the cruciform slide 40 having straight cross members is employed to eliminate rotary piston oscillation in the same manner as in Figs. 1 and 2. However the pivotally connected tail blade 23c in Fig. 7 is lateral- 1y bowed or curved in one direction or. the other and slidably received in the valve member 25c. That is, the valve member, 25e is formed with a curved slot in which the similarly curved tail blade reciprocates. The curvature of the tail blade serves to-impress additional rotary oscillation upon the valve member during non-oscillatory gyration of the piston.

In Fig. 8 is shown still another slightly modified form of the present invention, wherein the tail blade 23f is straight, having one end pivotally connected at 301 to the piston 24), and having a lateral projection or pin 65 on its other end. A curvedslot or groove 66 is providedin the casing or some structure fixed relative to the casing, and the pin 65 is slidably received within the slot. That is, the pin 65 moves along the slot 66 upon reciprocation of the tail blade 23 in the valve member 25 and thereby constrains the tail blade to a predetermnied angular oscillatory movement. As illustrated, the pin and slot 65 and 66 serve to control oscillation of the valve member 25 and hence increase the size of the discharge port opening. However, it is fully appreciated that in all of the forms of Figs. 6, 7 nad 8, the curved constraining means may be reversely curved, or of different curvature, as desired, in order to achieve a particular size exhaust port opening. While the timing of the valve port opening and closing in the last three modifications is not exactly the same as that of Figs. l5, the same timing can be obtained by altering the above-mentioned parallel disposition of the tail blade, as required, in order to achieve valve port closing at a desired piston position.

In Figs. 9 and 10 are shown the pivotal connection 30 in greater detail, wherein the piston 24 is formed with a transversely extending, open-ended peripheral groove of socket 70. In section, as best seen in Fig. 9, the socket is arcuate, comprising a circular arc of greater than 180". A generally cylindrical swivel or pivot 71 is rotatably seated in the socket 70, and the tail blade 23 is provided with an internal hollow 72, into which are inserted the fasteners 73 for threaded securementto the pivot 71. ijBy this pivot construction, it is seen that the tail blade" 23 is readily removable from the piston 24 for replacement, repair or otherwise, as desired.

While the foregoing detailed description has referred to the device of the present invention as a compressor, it is, of course, understood that the device may be used as a vacuum pump, motor, or the like, without modification thereof. Hence, in the claims the use of the term compressor and other terms to describe the compressor function are intended to cover the use as a vacuum pump and motor, as well as a compressor.

In view of the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a compressor type device which fully accomplishes its intended objects, and which is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

No doubt that other methods of increasing the opening of the valve can be designed by those familiar with the art. This invention pertains only to the increase of the exhaust port actuated by a one-piece rotary'valve, and in this case the increase of the size of the exhaust port can only be obtained if the rotary valve is actuated by a tail blade pivotally attached to the piston.

Although the present invention has beendescribed in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A rotary compressor comprising a casing having a main cylindrical chamber, a valve chamber intersecting said main chamber and forming a pair of lips therewith, an eccentrica'lly gyrating piston in said main chamber, an oscillating valve member in said valve chamber, a discharge port in the valve member adjacent one of the lips, a tail blade pivotally connected to said piston, said valve member having a slot in which said tail blade reciprocates, said casing having a low pressure inlet duct and a high pressure outlet duct, said inlet duct communicating with said main chamber, said discharge port being adapted to connect said high pressure duct and said main chamber at times and to disconnect said high pressure duct and said main chamber at other times as said valve member oscillates, and means constraining the gyration of said piston to thereby predetermine the amplitude of valve member oscillation and hence the amount of opening of said discharge port during connection of said high pressure duct and main chamber.

2. A rotary compressor according to claim 1, said constraining means comprising a slot and slide connection between said piston and easing adapted to produce the desired rotary oscillation of said piston.

3. A rotary compressor according to claim 1, said constraining means comprising a generally cruciform slide slidable in both said piston and casing for producing the desired rotary oscillation .of said piston.

4. A rotary compressor according to claim 3, wherein the cross members of said cruciform slide are substantially straight to eliminate rotary oscillation of said piston.

5. A rotary compressor according to claim 1, said constraining means comprising an end projection on said piston, there being a slot formed in said casing and slid-I ably receiving said projection, said slot being shaped to produce the desired rotary oscillation of said piston during gyration thereof.

6. A rotary compressor according to claim 5, wherein said projection comprises a pin s'lidable and rotatable in said slot.

7. A rotary compressor according to claim 1, said constraining means comprising a lateral projection on said tail blade, there being a slot formed in said casing and slidably receiving said lateral projection, said slot being shaped to produce the desired rotary oscillation of said tail blade during reciprocation thereof in said valve member.

8. A rotary compressor according to claim 1, said constraining means comprising a second tail blade fixed on said piston and spaced from said first tail blade, a

casing chamber spaced from said valve chamber and intersecting with said main chamber, and an oscillatory guide member in said casing chamber and slid-ably receiving said second tail blade to constrain rotary oscillation of said piston.

9. A rotary compressor according to claim 1, said constraining means comprising a member mounted for rotative movement in said casing in parallel spaced relation with respect to the axis of gyration of said piston, and .a pivot pin connecting said piston to said member eccentric-ally thereof, the eccentricity of said pin relative to said member and the rotative speed of the latter thus serving to determine the rotary oscillation of said piston.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 822,700 Steele June 5, 1906 2,227,740 Friedell et al. Jan. 7, 1941 2,643,817 Makaroff et al. June 30, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 146,300 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1920 

